Kavir Vijay, 5, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, runs and plays among the rows of flags at the Field of Honor in Seven Gables Park on July 3, 2026, in Wheaton. Each of the 2,000 American flags on display are dedicated to a soldier, veteran, first responder or personal hero. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Crowds fanned out across the Chicago area over the weekend through stormy weather to celebrate the Fourth of July, marking 250 years of American independence with colorful parades, beach days and backyard barbecues.
Adrienne Semmes, 78, left and Allison Semmes, both of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, dance in the plaza during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)A family rushes to cover their food as rain begins to fall during an independence day barbecue at Miller Meadow Nature Preserve in Forest Park, July 3, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)The Palmer family from St. Louis, Missouri, arrive to the plaza in decorative outfits during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)A man wears a cowboy hat as he stands in the plaza during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)Cayden Rawls, 5, of Chicago, stands with the Barack and Michelle Obama statue during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)The Mucco Pazza musical ensemble perform in the plaza during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)Angie Davis-Beal, 55, from left, embraces her grandson Cayden Rawls, 5, while standing in line with her other grandson Dominic May, 8, all of Chicago, during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)James McCauley, 8, and Aria McCauley, 6, both of Kokomo, Indiana, react as they play with bubbles at the Chicago Bubble Show tent during independence day celebrations at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, July 4, 2026. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)Shoppers take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday to shop and enjoy the sights and sounds, in Chicago’s Little Village, Saturday, July 4, 2026.
(Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)A large family gathers for a meal at Birrieria Patino’s Ocotlan restaurant, in Chicago’s Little Village, July 4, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)Members of the Elgin High School cheer team perform at the Elgin Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Members of the Elgin National Little League celebrate their 75th year in Elgin and walk in the Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026, in Elgin. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Glenna Broderick, right, and Joie Allen, center, along with other circus performers delight the crowd at the Elgin Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. The two-hour parade featured community organizations and businesses, politicians, sports leagues and dancers, to name a few. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Children play in bubbles spread along the parade route at the Elgin Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Zeynep Monfil, 4, waves as she watches the Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026, in Elgin. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Krista Skiffington hoop dances at the Evanston Fourth of July Parade on July 4, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)93-year-old Evanstonian Phyllis Zornig waves a small American flag while riding in a vintage car at the Evanston Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. She has lived in Evanston for 60 years. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)A friendly dog delights parade-goers left to right: Sammy Bess, 8, Aly Martin, 9, Emma Beaudoin, 18, Arli Nickell, 18, and Finnoula Bell, at the Evanston Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Valeria Flores, center, along with other dancers from the Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl perform at the Elgin Fourth of July parade on July 4, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)Water sprays everywhere as the first round of the fire department water fight starts during the Warrenville Fourth of July Celebration, July 4, 2026. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald)Julio Sanchez views the area where a tree in a home's backyard fell onto his residence in the coach house behind the home in the 3400 block of North Ottawa Avenue after a wind and rainstorm, July 3 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Lightning lights up the clouds above as several storms passed through Chicago on July 3, 2026 (Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune)A Mundelein police officer checks the festival grounds while it was being evacuated because of storms during Mundelein Community Day, July 3, 2026, at Courtland Commons Park. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald)Jennifer Zawilla of Pingree Grove and her children Xavyer Zawilla, 6, and Lily Zawilla, 8, are reflected in a rain puddle during the Northwest Fourth-Fest, July 3, 2026, in Hoffman Estates. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald)
